NATCHEZ &8212; A sex offender arrested for stalking a minor may face felony rather than misdemeanor charges under a bill introduced by Rep. Sam Mims, R-McComb, who represents a portion of Natchez.

Mims said a case in Southwest Mississippi inspired the legislation.

&8220;We had a case in Southwest Mississippi where a convicted sex offender had served his time and was out on parole,&8221; Mims said. &8220;He was caught stalking a minor. The most he could be charged was a misdemeanor, and we feel this needs to be changed.&8221;

Mims said he was pleased the bill passed out of the Judiciary B Committee. &8220;We now have the chance to debate it on the full floor of the House and probably will vote on it in the next two weeks.&8221;

No opposition to the bill surfaced in the subcommittee or full committee, he said.

The House and Senate have been busy with committee works in recent days, as Tuesday at 8 p.m. is the deadline for committees to report bills originating in their own houses.

&8220;And we&8217;re still waiting to see what the Senate will do about the governor&8217;s veto of the cigarette tax bill,&8221; Mims said.

In the House, &8220;we do have enough votes to sustain the veto,&8221; he said.

Mims was one of 30 in the House who voted against the bill to raise taxes on cigarettes and gradually reduce to zero the taxes on groceries. The bill nevertheless passed both houses and was sent to the governor, who vetoed it.

&8220;No one is more for cutting taxes than I am,&8221; he said. &8220;But I thought this was one of those feel-good, look-good votes. I think it would hurt city, county and the state budget. This is not the right time for this to happen. I intend to be fiscally responsible.&8221;

The tax bill came early in the Session, and Mims said he thinks &8220;there was an attempt to put the governor in a box.&8221;

In his third year in the Legislature, Mims said 2006 is his busiest session to date. &8220;I see no reason we can&8217;t get our job done in 90 days.&8221;

On the Senate side, Bob M. Dearing, D-Natchez, said he was pleased the Senate passed without any changes the House bill to amend the seat belt law.

&8220;This creates not wearing your seat belt as a primary offense. Law enforcement officers can stop you if you are not wearing your seat belt and fine you $25.&8221;

The bill will go to the governor for signature next week. &8220;We&8217;re in the top three states in deaths caused by not wearing seat belts,&8221; Dearing said.

On Thursday, Dearing had a one-on-one meeting with Gov. Haley Barbour, primarily to discuss the upcoming Rentech project in Natchez.

&8220;He was up to date on it,&8221; Dearing said. &8220;He said for a while no one on the state level could get definite answers about what it was going to take.&8221;

Barbour said he had heard it would be a $700 million project. &8220;I told him it will be more like a $1 billion project by Rentech, with 700 to 1,500 construction workers over time,&8221; Dearing said.

Natchez lawmakers will submit bills asking for Mississippi Development Authority assistance for Rentech to build a coal gasificataion plant at the old Belwood Country Club site.

Deadline for that bill is mid February, and in recent weeks, economic development officials in Natchez have been preparing information for that legislation based on Rentech&8217;s requests.